When it's your turn to go...

[thylacine60]

I was never much of a footballer as a kid. Always marveled at the skills of the better players in the team. I lacked a killer instinct and winning was something the coach could worry about. I remember being particularly impressed by blokes putting themselves on the line in a crappy under-age or Old Boys game that amounted to not much for me. Some of the acts of courage left me shaking my head both at the pointlessness (from my POV) and the reckless bravery.

On Friday night on at least 2 occasions, a player baulked at taking his turn at putting his body on the line. I was furious. Milkcrate will attest to how angry I got. Later on I'm thinking several things:

• do his teammates get angry with him too?
• does this stuff affect team moral as much as I believe it does?
  
• do I have the right to judge him?
• is he better off soft and alive or crazy brave and dead?
• is he really scared? if so should he be playing?
• can any AFL player ever be called a squib?
• is every AFL player courageous just playing the game, just some are braver than others?

No point me naming the player, it was quite obvious and others have done the same at different stages this season. What are the emotions of other supporters when they see a player take a short step or duck his head? Thoughts?

 

[brazilblue]

If someone like Simpson can always take his turn there is no excuse.

Pussy is pussy .... you don't wanna take your turn .... learn how to knit.

 

[Kramer1]

All for self preservation, not mandatory to dive in where angels fear to tread...but this was about dodging the potential for contact, genuine footsteps stuff. At a crucial time too.

I'll be pretty disillusioned if that is tolerated come selection.

 

[Dramoth]

I can understand someone like White short stepping a contest. Unless there is a really good reason for a short step or baulking at a contest... you shouldnt be short stepping a contest.

 

[BALKAN]

I don't expect all our players to go Mitch-Robinsoning into every contest, but it's a TEAM game. You can't have 17 players all putting their body on the line to win the game and 1 player mincing about.

Garlett's attempts were pathetic and they stuck out like a sore thumb, AND he has a history of this. I doubt these incidents endear him much to his teammates even if they won't publicly admit to it.

 

[Doro]

You need about 20 of the 22 that will go. You can carry a couple, according to their skill set.

 

[Koutafidamidis]

it makes me furious

 

[BALKAN]

You need about 20 of the 22 that will go. You can carry a couple, according to their skill set.

You can't carry a forward that flinches when on the lead. They are a liability.

 

[ESKIE]

I get furious, absolutely, surely 100% effort at every contest is warranted, not all are kamikaze but all we want is complete effort.

Maybe some players aren't competitive enough, talented yes but not the killer instinct, or is it the culture?

 

[Doro]

You can't carry a forward that flinches when on the lead. They are a liability.

Ideally no. I feel there is a place in our side for breakaway, out the back pace though.

 

[Wickzki]

Ideally no. I feel there is a place in our side for breakaway, out the back pace though.

Sure and right now (and for the foreseeable future) his name is Chris Yarran. Even he has come a long ways in taking his hits when he has to.

 

[BALKAN]

Sure and right now (and for the foreseeable future) his name is Chris Yarran. Even he has come a long ways in taking his hits when he has to.

Yarran, Murph, Gibbs, probably others, a heap of our players have been criticised for not going when it's their turn to go. All of these players have turned it around though. Anyone who doesn't get with the program will be gone soon I think.

 

[Barry Zuckercorn]

I reckon the OP is about Garlett.

 

[Doro]

Sure and right now (and for the foreseeable future) his name is Chris Yarran. Even he has come a long ways in taking his hits when he has to.

We cut down to one? Okay, I'm open. It's a mix and I'm no coach. I loved the creativity of the 3 amigos personally.

 

[BALKAN]

I reckon the OP is about Garlett.

 

[Blueboiiz]

You have to question the players hunger. Garlett at the moment just looks like he doesn't want it enough. Yarran on occasions through out his career has had his bad moments but you can clearly see how hard he is working going hard into contests when he has to.

 

[Wickzki]

We cut down to one? Okay, I'm open. It's a mix and I'm no coach. I loved the creativity of the 3 amigos personally.

You need guys who will take their hit if their primary skill is the breakaway -- occasionally those that can breakaway will get hit (dare I suggest more often than not; usually by people they're blinded to see). Yarran has learned to take his hits with the best of them this year. He's not jerking the contact away. Can't say the same about somebody else.

 

[Doro]

You need guys who will take their hit if their primary skill is the breakaway -- occasionally those that can breakaway will get hit (dare I suggest more often than not; usually by people they're blinded to see). Yarran has learned to take his hits with the best of them this year. He's not jerking the contact away. Can't say the same about somebody else.

Yeah mate, I like 'tough'at the top of my personal quality list, I just remember the 50 goal jeffy as well.

 

[thylacine60]

It's like they have committed a crime isn't it. It's the unspoken law of the game - if you fail it you are marked, often for your career.

 

[Wickzki]

Yeah mate, I like 'tough'at the top of my personal quality list, I just remember the 50 goal jeffy as well.

Beautiful to watch when he's on his game. No reason, when he gets his head back into it, that he can't transform like Yaz has. But until he has his head in it I question his value to the 22 when you have guys who will take the hit like Nick Graham out of the side who need experience.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

If Kade Simpson can continue to put his body on the line in every single contest without hesitation after that disgusting hit on him by Wellingham, then there's no excuse for anyone to shirk contact.

 

[Love the Drake]

Deflating...for the players who worked so hard to get it to him...and the fans

 

[Doro]

Beautiful to watch when he's on his game. No reason, when he gets his head back into it, that he can't transform like Yaz has. But until he has his head in it I question his value to the 22 when you have guys who will take the hit like Nick Graham out of the side who need experience.

Yeah its a balancing act. As an example the Swans who , whilst as hard at it as anyone are a better side with Jetta in the line-up. It's how many that is the question.

 

[Just Kreuzing]

Thy I was furious also and I think everyone of his team mates and every fan is entitled to be very disappointed in his efforts not only from Friday evening but from previous instances also.

Some team mates and fans may choose to differ in their feelings and support for him both publically and privately and that is fine.

I did post somewhere here on BF after the Adelaide game that I thought he went out of his way to avoid making any sort of body contact when he was finally subbed on and I was actually really disappointed with his efforts in a tight critical period of that game, this was only a week or 2 after he had similar efforts in the St.Kilda game.

I would be very surprised if his team mates and coaching staff dont or haven't addressed it with him already. He quite possibly would of been singled out in the inner sanctum of the team meetings and game reviews as to highlight areas that he needs to address whilst reminding the rest of the playing group that these efforts are unacceptable. I would expect that a good portion of his team mates and coaching staff would of been very angry with him but that doesn't mean they wont try to help or support him to work through this.

My opinion is if the team/club tolerate's these actions then we are going nowhere and they are cheating all of our wonderful members and supporters as well as under mining the proud history of the Carlton Football Club.

He firstly needs to own the problem before he can attempt to successfully address it, I am sure many other players have turned it around.

If he is scared he should not be playing senior football until he is mentally and physically capable of performing to the standard required. This may mean that he is required to play to certain expectations in his role or an altered role at VFL level before he can be considered for senior selection again.
If he chooses to sulk or show less then satisfactory work ethic and compliance between now and the end of the year I would fully support the club if they decided to move him on.

I do think some AFL players are braver then others but some of these players are really just bluffing and with the way the game has transformed over the past 2 decades it is becoming much easier to be "fake tough". I would hate to see some of these players trying to forge a successful career in the 70's and 80's, they wouldn't last 20 games.

It is an important period for the CFC and when we come out and say we are having no passengers well we have to back it up.

I would put a time frame on Jeff Garlett with clear guidelines and KPI's to acheive in the VFL for the next 4 to 6 weeks, he would be basically have that time to show me that he wants to be a senior AFL footballer for Carlton going forward and his actions or response will determine what path we may take with him at seasons end.

If the past 3 games are any indication of what he is going to serve up periodically for the rest of his career then I dont think the playing group will be overly concerned about what he or the club decides at the end of the year.

I wouldn't be surprised if he has already lost a considerable amount of trust and respect of the player group.

I certainly hope he turns it around but I personally dont think he will.

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Max will solve this.............

2 days ago..........